Sid Meier's Gettysburg

by Electronic Arts

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002EPY4
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: November 20, 1998
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,345 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Sid Meier is the main man behind such classic games as Pirates and Civilization, so it only makes sense that his first stab at a Civil War game is nothing short of brilliant. While Sid Meier's Gettysburg doesn't even attempt to painstakingly model every weapon, uniform, and other piece of equipment used in this most decisive of Civil War battles, it does a better job of convincingly reenacting the conflict than any other war game we've played.

Gettysburg plays out in real time, unlike other games that model the battle with consecutive turns. Players can slow things down when the action gets out of hand, or speed things up during long marches or while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. The terrain is 3-D and line of sight is modeled, so you aren't going to see that Confederate regiment behind the hill until either your units or theirs crest the ridge. This also makes it possible to hide some units in a tree line for a devastating ambush.

It takes time to limber and unlimber artillery batteries, meaning careful planning is key to victory. Infantry can be ordered to assume one of several formations depending on what you are trying to achieve, and moving them in strong battle lines is essential (and tricky). It's the little touches that really set this game apart, like hearing marching music as the enemy approaches or a battle cry as your troops fix bayonets and charge an enemy position. Gettysburg is a must-have for Civil War buffs and any war-game fan looking for a fun, challenging game. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Great historical flavor
• Real-time combat is an exciting challenge

Cons:

• Purists may wish for more detailed weapons modeling

Product Description

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars learn by failing, March 27, 2000

By 

peter rinaldi (natchez, ms) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sid Meier's Gettysburg (CD-ROM)

Meier's Gettysburg allows you to command CSA or Union troops in a series of scenarios that echo the real fighting if July 1863. As a commander you will learn the proper use of troops, including advancing under fire, defense, artillery use, terrain, maneuver and other techniques. Some scenarios are quite easy to learn and play. Others take more time to learn. There are over 40 scenarios, mini battles that you can play that do reflect aspects of the original battle. Graphics are clear, sounds are realisitic. When you make an error in handling your troops, the computer will say, "can't do that, general." This game is worth owning and worth playing. You can spend five minutes or hours playing. And a multi-player games is included. Can't say enough about the quality of this game which is inexpensively priced direct from the manufacturer, amazon or available at many wal-mart stores. The very clear images and mouse control of troops and artillery make this game a real winner. A great gift for yourself!!! or a friend!!!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sid Meier Can't Go Wrong, March 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sid Meier's Gettysburg (CD-ROM)

--Gettysburg! is one of the greatest war games ever made, and easily the best in the realm of Real Time interfaces. Its treatment of Morale, Cover, Leadership, and Flanking tactics is superb. It acheives an extrodinairy level of realism, especially for the typically dumbed down Real Time Strategy genre, but the interface is still extremely fluid and intuitive.

--In the realm of Civil War games, this is the best ever made, much more entertaining than the laborious turn based Talonsoft: Battleground serries. And at the same time far more realistic than the Sierra's painfully unrealistic Civil War General serries. And in the realm of RTS it is a breed apart, as Real Time Strategy rarely has anything to do with real combat tactics of any time-period. Gettysburg! is the thinking gamers ansewer to the C&C/Warcraft serries.

--The bottom line is that this game is a must buy. It is a unique blend of which I would like to see more.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good game, lots of bugs, June 18, 2003

By 

epsonstyluscolor (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sid Meier's Gettysburg (CD-ROM)

I'd like to add to the review of jilesmeacham below, which I think best highlights the shortcomings of this otherwise fine game. These problems are all true, and detract from the experience.

The main bug I encountered not already mentioned was the enormous amounts of casualties the skirmish formation inflicts, and the minimal casualties suffered. I have patched it, and it still happens. Try the three day battle at the easiest difficulty level with skirmish mode. The enemy, whichever side you choose will crumble. A 7-1 kill ratio is not atypical. At higher difficulty levels, this continues, but the skirmish units are very quickly routed, even if the enemy unit attacking has sufferted large casualties, and I've lost five men. This makes the skirmish the strongest formation, if you have a large amount of troops to hold objectives once they've been routed.

Another problem is that the division, corps, and army commanders, are not very useful, except for boosting morale and rallying troops, and seeing all units under the officer's command.

Also, the lack of friendly fire makes for unlikely movements. You must entirely surround a regiment to have it surrender. When it is routed and has nowhere to run, that is the only situation in which it will surrender. So it pays in the game if you manage to encircle a regiment(s), even if in reality, your own troops would have fired more shots at each other than at the enemy. But if it manages to slip through a narrow gap, which seems like computer cheating, it won't surrender.

And again, artillery and cavalry are not useful. You must mass a large amount of artillery to inflict the amount of casualties a brigade can. The only use is that they lower enemy morale at no cost. They provide opportunities for greater losses as well. Also, it's almost like the computer cheats, when it comes to using a regiment to capture enemy guns, they always run away, or the regiment is "repulsed." Cavalry are only infantry that cost twice as much to lose. They don't lose morale in skirmish mode, but their costliness leads me to pull them off to the or retreat when I have infantry to take their place. They have a speed advantage in column mode that can be used at times to capture unoccupied objectives, such as when a few routed enemy units recover behind your lines.

In the Pickett's Charge scenario, there isn't much Union artillery at the easiest difficulty level, and at higher levels, they don't do the damage that they historically did. It's likely at the hardest level for you to lose disastrously, playing as Union, because your own morale lowers more quickly than that of the computer.

I'd like to reiterate the point already made that the importance of objectives detracts from realism. If you know anything about the Civil War, then you know that, for the most part, successful generals pursued armies and not locations. There are no decisive locations on this map. Lee was trying to push north, and if there are to be any Southern objectives worth a small amount it should be to control roads to the North and the town itself.

The last problem I can think of at the moment is the significance of battle formations. It is difficult to take advantage of holes in enemy lines. You simply amass enough firepower and reserves to lower morale and cause the enemy to retreat, and it's sort of automatic. The enemy is certainly good at finding weak points in your line, however. Also, it is difficult to try moves that could be described as "daring" or "risky." I have attempted to outflank the enemy by swinging an entire brigade(s) to the side of their lines, and the problem is that it takes too long, and the scenario ends before I can get started. Also, realistically, the enemy would remove or realign some of its units from its locations if in a true battle I had troops almost behind it.

Still, given the price now, used or in a store, this game is worth getting. Lots of play on these 3D maps help get you familiar with the battlefield, if you decide to visit. Also, the PDF included has some basic information, as well as battle statistics. If you have a book on the battle, this is a refreshing way to experience it, and, despite the bugs and design flaws-it belongs on the shelf of every Civil War buff and battlefield visitor.